A Medical Laboratory Science student from the Saint Louis University (SLU)-Baguio City won the first place in the 19th Philippine Statistics Quiz (PSQ) National Finals held at the Assembly Hall, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Manila on December 8, 2010. It was the fourth time for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to dominate in the annual competition. Moreover, CAR was also represented by college freshmen from SLU-Baguio City when it grabbed the national championship trophy in 1999 and in 2008.

Gabrielle Paul S. Pascual, along with two other contestants, scored seven correct answers in round 1 putting them only on the second spot behind the national finalist from Region XI who was the top scorer at the beginning of the Quiz for having garnered a total of eight points. At the end of the second round, Pascual solely trails one point to the 16 points scored by the representative from Region VIII. It was a neck to neck battle among the 13 finalists who made it to the final and difficult round. CAR, Regions VI, and XI answered six out of 10 doubled-point questions apiece. When the accumulated scores in all the three rounds of questions and answers on statistical concepts, theories and problems were tabulated, Pascual earned the lead with a total of 27 points, enough to declare him as the national winner.

Second placer in the Quiz was Clar Don L. Evangelio, a BS Civil Engineering student from Visayas State University (Eastern Visayas). Although Evangelio’s and the 3rd placer’s cumulative scores were tied at 26 points after the final round, no tie-breaking question was administered. As set forth in the contest rules by the PSQ Technical Committee, in the event of a tie in the cumulative scores after the last round, the ranking of the contestants will be determined by their scores in round 1. Evangelio got seven points in the first round while the 3rd placer Agnes U. Casiano, a BS Chemical Engineering from University of Saint La Salle, Bacolod City (Western Visayas) got only five points.

The announcement of the winners was made by Dr. Mercedes B. Concepcion of the National Academy of Science and Technology who chaired the three-member Board of Judges. The two other judges for the national finals were former National Statistics Office (NSO) Deputy Administrator Nelia R. Marquez and Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) Director Romeo S. Recide.

Prior to the awarding of prizes, BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo, congratulated the Quiz organizers and the students as well as their coaches in his message. He remarked that "the proficiency that they (the youth) have developed, as ably harnessed by the PSQ, will collectively increase the skills level of the workforce and drive the task of nation-building to a higher and better likelihood of success."

NSO Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta and Dr. Vicente B. Valdepeñas, Jr., President of the Philippine Statistical Association, Inc., chairperson and co-chairperson, respectively, of the 2010 PSQ National Steering Committee presented the cash prizes and specially designed trophies to the top five national winners.

Cash prizes for the top five placers ranged from P5T for the fifth-placer to P25T. Likewise, respective winning coaches, aside from a special recognition from the PSQ organizers, also received cash equivalent to half of their ward’s cash prize. Pascual, being the 19th PSQ National Champion, was awarded a cash prize of Php25,000 and his returning coach, Nora U. De Vera was also given Php12,500.

This year's contest is a collaborative effort of sponsors and partners from the government and the private sector. Sponsors from the government were the APO Production Unit, Inc.; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Labor and Employment-Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics, Development Bank of the Philippines, Statistical Research and Training Center, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, BAS and National Statistical Coordination Board.

Major partners from the private sector were Unisys Philippines, Inc.; SM Business Services/Retail, Incorporated; Pilipinas Teleserv, Inc.; AGB Nielsen Media Research; Adriano Laquindanum (JACALA); Achievers Security Agency of the Philippines; Census Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative; Census Provident Fund, Inc. and, UP-Statistical Research Foundation, Inc.